Earlier this spring, we invited Main Streets that participated in the 2022 Small Business Saturday® Neighborhood Champion program to apply to our annual Neighborhood Champion Innovation Contest. The entrant with the most innovative idea received $5,000, a second-place winner received $2,500, and three third-place winners received $1,000 in recognition of their Shop Small® efforts.
This year, our judging panel was looking for the most innovative ways Main Streets engaged with the next generation of shoppers in their community. From selfie booths to local influencer marketing to pop-up shops to partnerships with local schools, our judges were blown away by the level of creativity in this year’s pool of applicants.
